PIPOMIXES posted this gem the other day. Shouts to DJ SOUL. This is a great listen. Some classic hip hop radio.
DJ SOUL:
Back in the late 90's when I used to harass record labels for music, one label that I would check on the regular was Loud Records. Damn near everything they released back then was certified classic. Debut albums from the Wu Tang, Mobb Deep, Raekwon, The Alkoholiks, Xzibit, Sadat X and Big Pun moved major units without radio friendly singles and helped pave the way for indie labels such as Rawkus and Penalty.
The first time I visited Loud, their office was on Lexington and 32nd Street (Vibe Magazine was also in that building) and it was a few weeks before the release of Mobb Deep's second album. I didn't know anybody who worked there but had heard that promo records were given out every Friday to club and mixtape DJ's. That week, I made it a point to go and wait in that lobby until somebody either hooked me up or kicked me out. I don't remember who laced me but I got an advance copy of Mobb Deep's Hell On Earth and Xzibit's At The Speed Of Light.
A week or two later, I made a mixtape titled The Set Up and went back to the office and gave out copies to some of the staff. Slowly, I became cool with Malachi & Jabbar in the A&R department and damn near everybody in promotions (Shouts to OJ Wedlaw, Budda, Gabby, Chris Green, Howie McDuffy and Puerto Rico Rob). Soon I met Sean C (who was working with a new group by the name of Dead Prez) and shortly after that, I met the two A&R's who were responsible for signing Mobb Deep and Raekwon. Their names was Schott Free and Matt Life. Matt had also worked at The Source Magazine where he was responsible for The Unsigned Hype column and was the one who introduced Puff Daddy to an up and coming rapper out of Bed-Stuy by the name of Biggie Smallz.
Up until the demise of Loud Records in 2002, these guys looked out for me whenever they could. So when Schott called me up last week and asked me to come up to his and Matt's new show on East Village Radio as a guest DJ, you know I had to repay the favor. Hopefully this will turn into something we do a few times a year.
http://limelinx.com/files/8bffa26a191cffa6faf2c9e37a84ba83
